Defending free speech

While in Cairo, the Georgia State University newspaper published my op/ed column about the fundamentalist Christian protests on campus last month. I responded to the managing editor of the school paper who called for free speech zones on campus to be moved to locations where they’d be less intrusive:

Most agree that free speech and the marketplace of ideas are concepts that help create a healthy democracy. Even the hateful speech heard on campus earlier this month had some benefits. Sarkesian said the counter-protests “did help to unify our very diverse campus against an insignificant, yet potentially dangerous, contingent.” I see value in that unification.

It’s pretty clear that the protesters weren’t winning over many converts. Perhaps the cool reception helped some students – maybe those who harbor some disdain for homosexuality – see that their views are out of alignment with the mainstream. Again, there is value in this open market of ideas.

If we agree that a marketplace of ideas is a good thing, then we must also agree on the makeup of the market. If the market is so far away that no one can shop there, then the market can’t really flourish or provide any service.

Please read the whole thing — and feel free to comment on the paper’s Web site.

Two German Killers Demanding Anonymity Sue Wikipedia’s Parent

From the New York Times, an interesting case balancing the right to privacy vs. free speech:

Wolfgang Werlé and Manfred Lauber became infamous for killing a German actor in 1990. Now they are suing to force Wikipedia to forget them.

The legal fight pits German privacy law against the American First Amendment. German courts allow the suppression of a criminal’s name in news accounts once he has paid his debt to society, noted Alexander H. Stopp, the lawyer for the two men, who are now out of prison.

“They should be able to go on and be resocialized, and lead a life without being publicly stigmatized” for their crime, Mr. Stopp said. “A criminal has a right to privacy, too, and a right to be left alone.”

Buttressed by a German privacy law, the lawyer has successfully petitioned online editors in Germany to remove any reference to the killers. Now, he wants to make the English-language Wikipedia remove the entry as well. The entry discussing the murder is right here.

Wikipedia isn’t likely to budge until more than a German court weighs in. Their legal counsel, Michael Godwin, said Wikipedia “doesn’t edit content at all, unless we get a court order from a court of competent jurisdiction.” (Godwin, by the way, is the originator of Godwin’s Law.)

The article featured names and photos of the two killers.  The last two paragraphs read:

In a written response to Mr. Stopp, Wikimedia questioned the relevance of any judgments in the German courts, since, it said, it has no operations in Germany and no assets there.

“We’ll see,” Mr. Stopp said in an interview. In an e-mail message after the interview, he wrote, “In the spirit of this discussion, I trust that you will not mention my clients’ names in your article.”

Guess the spirit of the discussion didn’t hold much sway with the reporter.

Cairo :: A bustling city

Walked around a healthy chunk of Cairo today. It’s definitely vibrant.

Enjoy this photo — there’s a lot going on in it. This guy is selling a drink that he pours out of his giant jug. Decided to not risk a sample myself. Heading to Alexandria tomorrow by train.

The pause that refreshes

Heading to Cairo

I’m flying to Cairo today for an nine-day trip. I’ll be presenting a paper at the Arab-U.S. Association for Communication Educators conference. My paper is entitled: “Wikipedia, the Armenian Genocide, and the Search for Truth.” So, you know, ask me about that one sometime.

My wife and I plan to visit a lot of sites and take a day-trip to Alexandria. Plan to post lots of photos.

Using Anonymous Sources Harms Credibility of News Industry

New research shows unnamed sourcing lowers credibility for readers:

“Readers sometimes believe sources have a vested interest in being anonymous, and they may also interpret the use of un-named sources as reporter incompetence, according to the study. Either way, the result is lower credibility.

The researchers, Miglena Sternadori and Esther Thorson, examined how readers reacted to investigative news stories using anonymous sources, as well as how the designation of a story as an “award winner” affected believability.

Stories in which the source had a vested interest and stories in which the author did not explain the use of anonymous sources ranked lowest in terms of credibility. Stories in the “award winners” category had more credibility with readers.

Interesting because some earlier research wasn’t as conclusive.

Naked pumpkin running

The city of Boulder is taking on the tradition of running naked while wearing nothing but a pumpkin upon the head, a.k.a. the “Naked Pumpkin Run”:

The event is exactly what its name implies. Scores of men and women pour into downtown streets for a late-night jog, wearing not a stitch between the jack-o’-lanterns on their heads and the sneakers on their feet.

For nearly a decade, naked pumpkin runners did their thing unmolested, stampeding through the frigid dark past crowds of admirers who hooted, hollered and tossed candy. But last year the run attracted more than 150 participants, and Police Chief Mark Beckner fears things are getting out of hand. “It’s a free-for-all,” he says.

So, the police are cracking down. The move offers interesting questions about time, place and manner restrictions of freedom of expression.

It’s not illegal to be naked in downtown Boulder. In fact, the city has had a long, proud history of nudity.Hundreds of University of Colorado students dashed across campus in the buff in 1974, in a vain attempt to set a Guinness World Record.

More recently, Boulder has played host to an annual Naked Bike Ride to protest dependence on fossil fuels. And the Boulder Daily Camera, the local newspaper, serves up a steady stream of stories about clothes-free joggers and nudist gardeners.

Casting about for a law to apply, since nudity per se is not illegal, police hit upon the state’s indecent exposure statute, which makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for anyone to knowingly expose his or her genitals in circumstances “likely to cause affront or alarm.”

Given that the Naked Pumpkin Run starts at 11 p.m., long after young trick-or-treaters have retired, and given that the route is packed with fans who come out specifically to see the event, runners argue that it’s absurd to think their prank is causing either affront or alarm.

Even if the run does catch a few people by surprise, “the joy it brings overall far outweighs the one or two people who could be offended,” says Callie Webster, who is 22 and a veteran pumpkinhead.

Police acknowledge they have not been flooded with pumpkin-run-related complaints, but say that’s beside the point. A throng of naked people with jack-o-lanterns on their heads is, by definition, an alarming sight, Chief Beckner says. Therefore, it’s illegal.

According to this report, the Naked Pumpkin Run was officially squashed.

A shame? Or not?

Los Dias de los Muertos

Just a reminder to celebrate Los Dias de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead:

The Day of the Dead (El Día de los Muertos or All Souls’ Day) is a holiday celebrated in Mexico and by Latin Americans living in the United States and Canada. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. The celebration occurs on November 1st and 2nd in connection with the Catholic holiday of All Saints’ Day which occurs on November 1st and All Souls’ Day which occurs on November 2nd. Traditions include building private altars honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts.

Now, that’s a great holiday.